Couple found dead in van ‘hours after being followed by police’

Ellie Marsden and Ryan Duffy were found dead at the side of the road

A young couple were found dead at the side of a road hours after their van was followed by police on mobile patrol, an inquest has heard. Ellie Marsden, 20, and 24-year-old Ryan Duffy, from Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, died on September 4, 2021, following a one-vehicle crash in Cumbria.

The couple had travelled to spend a night at the Appleby Castle Hotel in Appleby-in-Westmorland, where they were checked in at around 10pm by duty manager James Usher. In a statement read out at an inquest into the couple’s death, held in Carlisle on Monday, March 10, Mr Usher said: “The man [Ryan] said something along the lines of ‘I just want to make her happy with a night away’. Both were friendly. They seemed in good spirits.”

The inquest heard Ellie and Ryan went to Appleby’s Hare and Hounds pub, where they remained until just after 12.30am. A police officer on mobile patrol in a marked Ford Transit, close to the town centre pub, at Low Wiend, saw care assistant Ellie, of Golborne, getting into the passenger seat of a white Citroen Berlingo van, which was then driven away by Ryan, from Ashton-in-Makerfield.

The officer decided to follow the van, which was seen to travel the wrong way along a one-way street. It then turned right on to Boroughgate. Assistant coroner Joseph Hart told the jury at the inquest: “The officer followed the van on to rural roads around Appleby. At times he seems to have lost sight of the van.

“You will hear about how the officer followed that vehicle on those rural roads. But at this stage you should be aware the officer didn’t illuminate his emergency blue lights. After a distance the officer ceased to follow that vehicle, and he thought the driver might in fact have been aware of his presence.”

The officer notified police force control of his observations regarding the Citroen van. He returned to Appleby and later pulled over a similar van in the town centre which proved not to be the Citroen he had originally spotted.

Hours later, at around 7.40am, a married couple travelling along the narrow single carriageway C3057 road – around three miles south-east of the village of Kings Meaburn – came across a crashed van. Inside were the bodies of Ellie and Ryan.

Witness Bill Offord, who had been travelling with his wife, said: “The van was straight off the road and had crashed into a big tree.” There were skid marks on the road and extensive damage to the Berlingo.

Mr Offord said: “The front of the vehicle was destroyed. It must have been a huge impact with the tree.” Before evidence began, assistant coroner Mr Hart told jurors they would have to consider a number of issues during what was a “fact-finding” hearing to establish facts but not to apportion blame.

The coroner said: “You will have to consider the movements and the observations of the police officer in Appleby town centre at the time Ellie and Ryan left the pub and got into the Berlingo van.”

Jurors would consider the route and journey taken by Ryan. Mr Hart said: “You will consider the corresponding movements and the speed of the police officer when he was following the van. You will have to consider whether the police officer was involved in pursuing the Duffy van. You will have to consider the officer’s decision to stop following that van.”

Moving tributes to Ellie and Ryan were read to jurors by their mothers. Karen Duffy said of Ryan, who loved nature, camping, cycling, climbing, walking and angling said: “He was a larger than life character, always smiling and happy. He could light up a room with his infectious laugh.

“He was fearless and would have a go at anything. Ryan’s philosophy for life was to grab it by the horns and live it to the full. He made me proud every day.”

Ellie, said Ryan’s mum, was very special in his life with “two beautiful souls having been “taken too soon”. She said: “I do know that the world is a poorer place for Ryan and Ellie not being in it. He was my world and will be missed always.”

Kelly Kennedy paid tribute to Ellie, daughter of Allan and sister of Chloe. She said: “Ellie always wore her heart on her sleeve and had the most impeccable manners with a genuine kindness and love radiating from her.”

She described Ellie as “loyal, loving, caring, kind and genuine”, loved make-up, fashion and ice cream. “So many hearts have been broken by Ellie’s loss. So many,” said her mum, who called her “indescribably special”.

She added: “She just wanted to make a difference, to make everyone happy. Every bone in her body was kind, loving, caring. She just wanted to make the world a better place. Equally the world was a better place with Ellie in it.” The inquest, which is expected to last several days, continues.